Though he has had to forego the more strenuous labours on the land in whist he was accustomed to take part, it would be a mistake to think that this indicates any lessening of interest in his rural surroundings. The way in whit*, in a very short while, he established friendly relations with his neighbours (including school children and old farm workers) was remarkable. In a very short while he seemed to know everyone and everyone seemed to know and respect him. Country folk are slow to welcome strangers, but 1 don't think Denis experienced any difficuliy of this kind.
TESTIMONY to his continued I. literary activity is borne by the fact that, at the present time, he has no less than three books announced for publication this spring. There is, first, an account of Lord Shrewsbury, Pugin and the Catholic Revival, then, a Life of Fr Dominic Barberi—virtually the official biography, and, thirdly, a Life of Bishop Challoner. All three, as will be seen. are connected with the general subject of the Catholic revival in this country, on which he has already written much.
His MO main interests as shown by his literary work—Irish political history and the Oxford Movement— suggest what may be almost a mission of reconciliation, When I saw him last, we talked of the differences between the Irish and the English Catholic. There was no attempt to minimise these differences or to gloss over the tact that they have caused friction, and we spoke of them as friends can, quite frankly, not omitting, from the English side, the close association between Dish religion and Irish pattiotism or the dominance of the priesthood in Eire. On these aspects of the subject he spoke wisely and with sympathetic understanding of both sides. When I left this quiet, scholarly man with his Irish heritage and his long experience of this country, I realised the value of the position he occupies as a mediator and interpreter between the two peoples united in a COTI1111011 Faith, but differing in so much else.